Karbala climate
Karbala (Iraq) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 24 °C75 °F, and about 120 mm4.7 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Karbala climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1559 | 439 | 949 | 220.9 | 2 |
| Feb | 1865 | 643 | 1254 | 180.7 | 1 |
| Mar | 2475 | 1151 | 1763 | 170.7 | 0 |
| Apr | 3086 | 1661 | 2374 | 130.5 | 0 |
| May | 3798 | 2373 | 3085 | 40.2 | 0 |
| Jun | 42107 | 2781 | 3494 | 00.0 | 0 |
| Jul | 44111 | 2985 | 3798 | 00.0 | 0 |
| Aug | 44111 | 2985 | 3798 | 00.0 | 0 |
| Sep | 40104 | 2578 | 3391 | 00.0 | 0 |
| Oct | 3392 | 2068 | 2780 | 110.4 | 0 |
| Nov | 2373 | 1152 | 1763 | 190.7 | 0 |
| Dec | 1662 | 642 | 1152 | 150.6 | 1 |
| Year | 44111 | 439 | 2475 | 1204.7 | 5 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59% | 41% | 3.2 | 10:13 |
| Feb | 54% | 40% | 4.1 | 10:59 |
| Mar | 43% | 41% | 5.3 | 11:53 |
| Apr | 37% | 43% | 6.1 | 12:57 |
| May | 28% | 35% | 7.1 | 13:49 |
| Jun | 22% | 16% | 8.0 | 14:17 |
| Jul | 20% | 16% | 7.6 | 14:06 |
| Aug | 21% | 16% | 7.1 | 13:20 |
| Sep | 24% | 19% | 6.1 | 12:19 |
| Oct | 31% | 33% | 4.5 | 11:18 |
| Nov | 48% | 39% | 3.4 | 10:26 |
| Dec | 57% | 41% | 2.9 | 10:01 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Karbala is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 44 °C111 °F and a low of 29 °C85 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 15 °C59 °F and lows 4 °C39 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 27.4 °C49.3 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is very dry, with only 120 mm4.7 in of precipitation in an average year. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 48% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: February–December. The wettest month is January (22 mm0.9 in), the driest is July (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 20% in July to 59% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 16%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in November to 14 km/h (9 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 10.0 hours in December to 14.3 hours in June.
Best time to visit Karbala
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are February and March and November: average highs of 18 °C65 °F to 24 °C75 °F with 17 mm0.7 in to 19 mm0.7 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is hot, with average highs of 44 °C111 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Karbala
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1559 to 18 °C65 °F, lows 439 to 6 °C43 °F, about 18 mm0.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 2475 to 37 °C98 °F, lows 1151 to 23 °C73 °F, about 11 mm0.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 42107 to 44 °C111 °F, lows 2781 to 29 °C85 °F, about 0 mm0.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 2373 to 40 °C104 °F, lows 1152 to 25 °C78 °F, about 10 mm0.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Karbala compares
Compared with Baghdad, about 88 km to the northeast, Karbala has practically the same average temperature and receives 40% less precipitation (120 mm4.7 in vs 201 mm7.9 in). The difference is largest in March (0.6 °C1.1 °F warmer).
Of the 39 places in Iraq covered by World Climates, Karbala is the 19th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 29th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Iraq climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Jahrom (Iran, BWh), Ouargla (Algeria, BWh) and Khorramshahr (Iran, BWh).
Nearby places
- Al-Musayab 31 km · 24 °C75 °F · 181 mm7.1 in
- Al Hillah 41 km · 24 °C76 °F · 147 mm5.8 in
- Al Mahmudiyah 59 km · 24 °C76 °F · 181 mm7.1 in
- Najaf 72 km · 25 °C76 °F · 105 mm4.1 in
- Al Fallujah 85 km · 23 °C74 °F · 140 mm5.5 in
- Baghdad 88 km · 24 °C75 °F · 201 mm7.9 in
- Al Diwaniyah 109 km · 25 °C77 °F · 147 mm5.8 in
- Ramadi 112 km · 23 °C74 °F · 109 mm4.3 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Karbala?
July is the warmest month in Karbala, with an average high of 44 °C (111 °F) and an average low of 29 °C (85 °F).
What is the coldest month in Karbala?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 15 °C (59 °F) and an average low of 4 °C (39 °F).
When does it rain the most in Karbala?
January is the wettest month with about 22 mm (0.9 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Karbala?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are February and March and November.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.